Bill Text: CT HB06535 | 2013 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: An Act Redefining Class I Renewable Energy Sources.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-01 - Public Hearing 03/07 [HB06535 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2013-HB06535-Introduced.html
General Assembly |
Raised Bill No. 6535 | ||
January Session, 2013 |
LCO No. 3797 | ||
*03797_______ET_* | |||
Referred to Committee on ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY |
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Introduced by: |
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(ET) |
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AN ACT REDEFINING CLASS I RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subdivision (26) of subsection (a) of section 16-1 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(26) "Class I renewable energy source" means (A) energy derived from solar power, wind power, a fuel cell, methane gas from landfills, anaerobic digestion of organic waste, ocean thermal power, wave or tidal power, low emission advanced renewable energy conversion technologies, a run-of-the-river hydropower facility provided such facility has a generating capacity of not more than five megawatts, does not cause an appreciable change in the river flow, and began operation after July 1, 2003, or a sustainable biomass facility with an average emission rate of equal to or less than .075 pounds of nitrogen oxides per million BTU of heat input for the previous calendar quarter, except that energy derived from a sustainable biomass facility with a capacity of less than five hundred kilowatts that began construction before July 1, 2003, may be considered a Class I renewable energy source, [or] (B) any electrical generation, including distributed generation, generated from a Class I renewable energy source, or (C) useful thermal energy derived from a Class I renewable energy source under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, cogeneration technology, methane gas from anaerobic digesters, geothermal or air source heating and cooling equipment or biodiesel or renewable diesel blend;
Sec. 2. Subdivision (45) of subsection (a) of section 16-1 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(45) "Sustainable biomass" means biomass that is cultivated and harvested in a sustainable manner. "Sustainable biomass" does not mean construction and demolition waste, as defined in section 22a-208x, finished biomass products from sawmills, paper mills or stud mills, organic refuse fuel derived separately from municipal solid waste, or biomass from old growth timber stands, except where (A) such biomass is used in a biomass gasification plant that received funding prior to May 1, 2006, from the Clean Energy Fund established pursuant to section 16-245n, or (B) the energy derived from such biomass is subject to a long-term power purchase contract pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (j) of section 16-244c entered into prior to May 1, 2006, (C) such biomass is used in a renewable energy facility [that is certified as a Class I renewable energy source by the authority until such time as the authority certifies that any biomass gasification plant, as defined in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, is operational and accepting such biomass,] in an amount not to exceed one hundred forty thousand tons annually, [is used in a renewable energy facility] that was certified as a Class I renewable energy source by the authority prior to December 31, 2007, and uses biomass, including construction and demolition waste as defined in section 22a-208x, from a Connecticut-sited transfer station and volume-reduction facility that generated biomass during calendar year 2007 that was used during calendar year 2007 to generate Class I renewable energy certificates, or (D) in the event there is no facility as described in subparagraph (A) or (C) of this subdivision accepting such biomass, in an amount not to exceed one hundred forty thousand tons annually, is used in one or more other renewable energy facilities certified either as a Class I or Class II renewable energy source by the authority, provided such facilities use biomass, including construction and demolition waste as defined in said section 22a-208x, from a Connecticut-sited transfer station and volume-reduction facility that generated biomass during calendar year 2007 that was used during calendar year 2007 to generate Class I renewable energy certificates. Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraphs (C) and (D) of this subdivision, the amount of biomass specified in said subparagraphs shall not apply to a biomass gasification plant, as defined in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision;
Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 16-1 of the general statutes is amended by adding subdivision (53) as follows (Effective from passage):
(NEW) (53) "Useful thermal energy" means energy in the form of direct heat, steam, hot water or other thermal form that is used by a facility located in the state of Connecticut for heating, cooling, humidity control, process use or other valid thermal end use energy requirements, for which fuel or electricity would otherwise be consumed.
Sec. 4. Subsection (b) of section 16-245a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(b) An electric supplier or electric distribution company may satisfy the requirements of this section (1) by purchasing certificates issued by the New England Power Pool Generation Information System, provided the certificates are for (A) energy produced by a generating unit using Class I or Class II renewable energy sources and the generating unit is located in the jurisdiction of the regional independent system operator, [or] (B) energy imported into the control area of the regional independent system operator pursuant to New England Power Pool Generation Information System Rule 2.7(c), as in effect on January 1, 2006, or (C) useful thermal energy that is metered and reported by an approved independent monitor; (2) for those renewable energy certificates under contract to serve end-use customers in the state on or before October 1, 2006, by participating in a renewable energy trading program within said jurisdictions as approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority; or (3) by purchasing eligible renewable electricity and associated attributes from residential customers who are net producers.
Sec. 5. Section 16-245a of the general statutes is amended by adding subsection (h) as follows (Effective from passage):
(NEW) (h) On or before July 1, 2013, the authority shall initiate a contested case proceeding to determine the specific guidelines by which a facility utilizing useful thermal energy would qualify as a Class I renewable energy source. Such guidelines shall include: (1) Unit eligibility requirements, including emissions thresholds and metering standards, (2) monitoring and verification standards, including the required qualifications to be certified as an independent monitor, and (3) calculation and creation of renewable energy certificates.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
from passage |
16-1(a)(26) |
Sec. 2 |
from passage |
16-1(a)(45) |
Sec. 3 |
from passage |
16-1(a) |
Sec. 4 |
from passage |
16-245a(b) |
Sec. 5 |
from passage |
16-245a |
Statement of Purpose:
To add anaerobic digestion of organic waste and useful thermal energy to the definition of Class I renewable energy source and to expand the definition of sustainable biomass.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]